New TSA Policy Will Undermine Security of Flying Public and Crew Members

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) –The Transportation Security Administration’s recent decision allowing knives in the aircraft cabin is an outrageous move that will endanger the security of the flying public and the safety of thousands of flight attendants and pilots, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said today. The Teamsters are part of a growing coalition demanding that the new TSA policy be reversed before it takes effect on April 25.

“Since the horrific 9/11 terror attacks, the ban on dangerous objects in the aircraft cabin has helped make our nation’s airline industry the safest in the world,” said Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa. “This ban has been and continues to be an integral part of our nation’s aviation security system, ensuring the safety of both passengers and crew members. We call on the TSA to reverse this decision.”

Hoffa added that the Teamsters are fully committed to supporting the public campaign against the new TSA policy. The Teamsters union is a proud member of the 90,000-strong Flight Attendants Union Coalition leading that campaign, which includes an online petition to the White House at http://1.usa.gov/10gBQ78.

"We have spent countless hours working with our nation’s leaders, union leaders, industry leaders, and our membership to protect the American traveling public, our members, and those people on the ground,” said Capt. David P. Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. “Under the current rules, you are allowed to transport the "new" items but they must be checked items. The current rules should be continued."

“Knives don’t belong in the aircraft cabin,” said Hoffa. “The Teamsters will fight to make sure dangerous objects stay out of our skies and we’ll continue working with our allies, including the Coalition of Airline Pilots Association which has also come out forcefully against this wrongheaded decision.”

The Teamsters Airline Division represents about 80,000 workers in all segments of commercial aviation, including pilots and flight attendants. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters was founded in 1903 and represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.